WEST WHITELAND — An accused serial vacuum thief is in custody Wednesday after avoiding arrest for several weeks, according to police.

David Vain, 34, faces 10 felony theft charges in West Sadsbury and West Whiteland, according to court records. Police said that on at least two occasions Vain walked into area Walmart stores and left without paying for hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise. Investigators later identified Vain as a suspect after reviewing surveillance footage of the thefts. Officials said Vain was wearing a purple Batman shirt when he walked out with a cart loaded with expensive vacuum cleaners, which helped with his identification.

According to West Whiteland Detective Scott Pezick, Vain attempted to avoid arrest until a neighbor – who had read about the accusations in The Daily Local News – notified police of his whereabouts. Vain was arrested Monday night and later taken to Chester County Prison, where he was detained on a probation violation.